Short prison sentence for Norwalk self-defense shooter

John Nickerson

Published 5:34 pm, Thursday, November 7, 2013

STAMFORD -- A man who shot three men two years ago while trying to defend himself from local gang members during a fight in South Norwalk, pleaded guilty to reduced charges and will be sentenced to two years in jail after the new year.

Christopher Entzminger-Joyner, 22, of Taylor Avenue stood next to his attorney Stephen DeLeo in a court room on the fourth floor of the Stamford courthouse Thursday and pleaded guilty to illegal discharge of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit.

According to his plea agreement, Entzminger-Joyner will return to court on Jan. 7 when he will be sentenced by Judge Richard Comerford to two years and one day in jail and three years of special parole.

DeLeo said, "My client was attacked by a gang of youths led by a kid with the street name "Trouble" who is now in federal custody and the prosecutor believes there was a self-defense claim in the case."

DeLeo said that Entzminger-Joyner's residence on Taylor Avenue is a crossroads for kids who live in public housing complexes in Norwalk like Roodner Court, Meadow Gardens and Washington Village.

"This family is in the middle of a war zone down there," said DeLeo, explaining that numerous shootings have taken place there.

"Not all the kids are carrying guns to commit crimes. Some, like my client are carrying them to protect themselves," he said.

DeLeo said he was pleased that the cases were being resolved and will be in jail for only a fraction of the six years he could be made to spend behind bars on the charges.

The arrest came after a fight on a stairway that leads between Taylor Avenue and Summit Avenue on Aug. 28, 2011. The fight was evidently between Entzminger-Joyner and two gang members, one of whom had been a suspect and a victim in several shootings in Norwalk around that time. Two of the gang members were shot, along with Entzminger-Joyner's cousin, who was standing with him at the time of the incident.

Originally, Entzminger-Joyner had been charged by police with three counts each of first-degree assault and illegally firing a gun in the city, along with one count of first-degree reckless endangerment.

Most of the charges, however, will be dropped at sentencing because Entzminger-Joyner has a compelling self defense claim against the men he was scuffling with at the time the he pulled out his gun and fired.

All three of the shooting victims survived. One was shot in the left leg and upper thigh, another was shot on his left side and the other was shot in the left arm.

Entzminger-Joyner had no criminal record before the incident and may have only served a one-year mandatory minimum prison sentence for his illegal discharge of a weapon guilty plea if he was not spotted by Norwalk police in June while out on bail driving while his license was under suspension.

When Entzminger was arrested on the charge, police found him in possession of another gun.

"All in all, to get both cases resolved it was a fair resolution and my client was satisfied," DeLeo said.